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ROGERS CUP

August 13, 2015

Victoria Azarenka

TORONTO, ONTARIO

S. ERRANI/V. Azarenka
7‑5, 6‑3

Q. Vika, you fought hard out there and competed hard, but it looked like maybe your A game wasn't there. What was your reaction to that match?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Well, you could call it a bad day. You could call it whatever. But I just felt that even though I tried really hard mentally, I didn't do everything that was‑‑ that I had to do to win that match. So I'm a little bit disappointed in that. But I need to find a reason why I didn't push myself, or I couldn't find that fire a little bit today, unfortunately. And I was just stubborn with the things that didn't work today, and I kept going for it. So you know, it happens sometimes, especially if you don't play for a while, and I've been feeling great during practice, but the only positive about it is that it happened here and not at the Open.

Q. Did you feel any different when you stepped on court today? Some players kind of feel like the clouds are gathering that it's going to be a bad day or something. Did you feel fine when you started the match?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: No. I just didn't feel anything really today, nothing for me personally was working, but at the same time you still gotta find a way or try to find a way, and I felt that I didn't try 100 percent to put myself together to find a solution. And that's something that I really need to do.

Q. Yes, Vika, do you feel that people under estimate Sara Errani with how her style is and how she has decided to take a break with doubles and how she brings this weird, unique style of this pace and her spin and can you just talk about the difficulty in regards to timing, even 65, 70‑mile‑per‑hour serves and how that's harder than it appears?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: I don't think‑‑ I personally never under estimate her. I know she's a very tough competitor. And I don't feel that her style is really that unique because she has kind of a spin ish style, clay court type of game. But to me, today I felt it was a lot about what I did on the court. And she was there, you know, bringing everything back, which makes it difficult, especially when you don't feel yourself too confident or have that much of a rhythm.
But I just personally feel that I lost that match for me, and I should have done better. But she didn't make it easy for me, that's for sure.

Q. Vika, I know it's right after the match, so it's hard to say, but are there positives that you can take from this week as you head to Cincinnati?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: From this week, yes. And actually, this loss will actually make me much better, because I do tend to learn a lot more from losing than from winning. So‑‑ and I'm going to take it really seriously and adjust.

Q. It's been a while since you changed. I'm wondering if you feel 100 percent in the groove or if you're still sort of feeling your way around each other?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: I think we're constantly getting to know each other a little better. But teamwork is great. There is nothing to talk about. I think everybody feels really comfortable and confident in each other. I do with my team. So that's real important.

Q. Does it feel new still or are you used to it now?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: I don't feel anything really. Like it just feels like I know these guys for a long time and we are working, but I don't really try to count, you know, how many days we've been working or anything. It just flows naturally.

Q. Caroline touched on this yesterday in regards to the WTA making sure that players play Premier 5s and play the premier mandatories and based upon similar to what the guys face with the Masters 1000. Do you feel that the WTA, especially in regards to if you guys are at 100 percent in these big events, that they should do away with fining you guys, especially in regards to the financial straits, even for the top players and if that's just a sign of fairness or just a sign of being strict?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Well, it's a very sensitive subject, just because tournaments invest so much money and effort into making top players come to the events. So there should be an obligation for us to make an effort, I believe.
In terms of fines, it's painful, for sure. It hurts. And there are some circumstances that are unfortunate, but I believe that you have to just try to make the best schedule possible for yourself. And sometimes it's difficult to predict, but there should be rules. And I believe that we also have to make effort for tournaments.

Q. And just one more question. You praised the Toronto DJ two days ago in regards to playing Michael Jackson and Prince. Would you rate in terms of the best DJs at a tournament? Is Toronto the best or New York the best or what DJ did you like, in what city, if you can think?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Probably one of the best ones I saw was in Vegas. That was not for the tournament. But I don't know. That's a good question. You know, I think I'll just pay a little bit more attention next time and I'll write a yearly review on that.

Q. You know Nick Kyrgios pretty well. How did you see what happened yesterday?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Are you ready to hear a long answer for that?

Q. Absolutely.
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Okay. I think there is no excuse for any type of behavior like that on the tennis court regards anybody, not only players, but anybody around the Court.
But I think the tough part and an issue here comes from education from the parents. And I'm not saying there is good or bad parents in any case. I'm just talking in general. I think when you are young and you have so much pressure on you and you are making a lot of money at this young age, it's difficult for your parents to be a parent to you and restrict you from a lot of things. So it's very easy to get out of control and lose the sight of reality. And I think that's what happens to a lot of athletes in a lot of sports. So I think the issue in that is a little bit bigger, from what happened yesterday.
And personally, I think it was really bad overlook for our sport, and hopefully he can learn and just, you know, really understand what's going on around him, because everybody makes mistakes, but there is a limit to things. But my personal opinion that it comes a little bit from how you are raised as well.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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